Please log in

or

Register now for free

or

Choose your profile *

Email *

A valid e-mail address. All e-mails from the system will be sent to this address. The e-mail address is not made public and will only be used if you wish to receive a new password or wish to receive certain news or notifications by e-mail.

Password

Username *

Newsletters

Higher education updates from the THE editorial team

World University Rankings news

If you do not wish to be contacted about offers, products or services from THE/TES Global then please check this box

Tribunal rules v-c is guilty

A tribunal has found the former vice-chancellor of Brunel University,
Steven Schwartz, guilty of victimisation after he publicly implied that
two former colleagues had behaved dishonestly, writes Melanie Newman.
After Brunel staff members Gurdish Webster and Saeed Vaseghi lost
claims of race discrimination against the university in 2005, Professor
Schwartz sent two circulars around Brunel criticising the pair, whom he
did not name.

Bemoaning the expense of defending the cases, he referred to the two as
having made "unwarranted demands for money" and described their claims as
"unfounded", "unmeritorious" and "futile".

"The cost of the defence exceeded £60,000," wrote Professor Schwartz.
"This is money that could have been used for teaching and research." He
criticised the then Association of University Teachers for using "members'
funds to support futile litigation".

Professor Vaseghi told the tribunal that the message "echoed around the
campus" and that as "the high priest of the university", Professor
Schwartz's words were accepted without question.

The tribunal concluded that the claimants' sense of grievance was
reasonable and justified.

"Professor' Schwartz's assertion that the claimants had made unwarranted
demands for money was an implicit assertion of dishonesty on their part,"
it said. The earlier tribunal, while dismissing the cases of
discrimination, had accepted that they were made in good faith.

Professor Vaseghi and Ms Webster were awarded £7,500 each as compensation
for injury to their feelings. The tribunal said Professor Schwartz and the
university were equally responsible, so each should be liable for half of
each award.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said:
"The findings of the tribunal are important because members of black and
minority ethnic communities often feel intimidated and fearful of making
legitimate claims of discrimination against their employer."

A spokesperson for Brunel said: "We are taking time to consider the
judgment in detail."

You've reached your article limit.

Register to continue

Registration is free and only takes a moment. Once registered you can read a total of 3 articles each month, plus: